“Drumknott.”

“Yes, Sir Samuel?”

“Take Autumn home. I need to teach my son a lesson.”

Autumn watched as young Sam bobbed down into the rushes, trying to hide from his sire; “Oh no…” he whispered, “He’s gonna kill me.”

“I doubt that,” Autumn replied quietly, “My father might kill me, though.”

Sam Junior gave her a swift glance, “Don’t be stupid, he adores you.”

“Yeah right.”

Suddenly, Drumknott fluttered down in front of the two cubs; “Come now, Autumn. Time to go home,” he said, giving her shoulder a gentle tap.

Autumn heaved a great sigh and turned toward Pride Rock, willing to take as long as possible in reaching it.

Drumknott quickly gave young Sam a glance, “Good luck, Sam.”

“Thanks,” he squeaked. He then watched as Autumn plodded off, Drumknott in tow, away into the foliage.

“Samuel!” his father’s voice suddenly snapped from across the field. Little Sam shuddered and turned about face, crawling meekly to his father’s side. On his way, he stumbled across a hole in the ground; irritated, he glared down at it and saw that it wasn’t just a hole - it was his father’s paw print. He gulped - it was so much bigger than his paw.

Drawing himself away from the article, he urged himself on and slumped onto his backside next to his father.

There was a brief silence as father and son sat side by side, staring into the distance.

“Son, I’m very disappointed in you,” Sam senior said.

Junior nodded glumly and stared at his feet, “I know…” he sighed.

“You could have been killed! What will your mother say?”

Junior looked up, “You won’t tell her, dad?” he shrieked.

His father frowned down at him, “Oh, I’ll be telling her all right, my lad.”

Junior’s heart sunk and his mouth gaped so wide, he could have caught an elephant in it. Nothing was worse than going home to a telling off by mother!

“And you didn’t just put yourself at risk,” Senior went on, “You dragged Autumn along, too!”

“I didn’t,” Junior grumbled, “It was her idea.”

“That doesn’t make any difference, Sam. The fact is you went along anyway when you should have said no.”

Sam junior sniffled, beginning to get a little upset now, “But she woulda laughed at me!”

Senior sighed and shook his great, mane-covered head, “Oh, son… At the end of the day, you would have been a smarter boy if you’d just said ‘no‘.”

“I can’t say no to her, dad.”

“Why not?”

Junior had to ponder on this, “I… dunno. She just makes me do things.”

“Well I don’t want to have to come and rescue you again, do you hear me, Samuel?”

Junior sighed again, “Yes, dad…” he muttered.

“And I don’t care what Autumn says.”

“No, dad.”

“I’ll have a word with her father about this.”

“It’s your funeral, dad.”

Senior cocked an eyebrow at his son, “Is it?”

Junior looked up at him, “Well, you always say he makes you feel like you’ve done summit wrong. So rather you than me.”

“He… You’re right, he does.”

“That’s like how Autumn makes me feel.”

Sam senior grabbed his son and tossed him onto his back, “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” he said as the two began to head for home.

Junior settled into his father’s haphazard mane and stared at the sky above, “We’re still pals, aren’t we, dad?”

Senior laughed quietly to himself, “Yes, son, we are,” he replied.

“And we’ll always be together, right?”

Senior halted slowly in his tracks and swallowed; “Son,” he said gently, “I won’t always be here. But I’ll always be with you. Try and remember that.”

“I don’t understand,” Junior said, climbing up his father’s neck and staring down into his eyes.

Senior threw his head back and sent Junior sliding back down his neck; “You will one day, my boy. Now, let’s go home.”

---

Autumn sat with a hunched back outside her father’s cave, waiting for him. She pursed her lip, pouting at everyone who dared to walk passed her. Drumknott was waiting with her, too, just to make sure she didn’t scuttle off again (she tried to lose him at the water hole, but the hornbill knew her tricks by now).

A line of flamingos filed out of the Patrician’s cavern, talking animatedly amongst themselves and, after another moment or two, they were followed by the Patrician himself. He walked silently up behind Autumn and sat down, looking at her dejected form from behind with a slight smirk.

Drumknott made a swift bow and fluttered onto Havelock’s shoulder; he whispered everything in his ear and then flew off.

“So, Autumn,” the Patrician said, making her jump out of her little skin, “Have we been looking for trouble?”

Autumn didn’t respond; she glared at his shadow as it loomed over hers, blocking it out.

He rounded to her front and sat down again, “I’m not pretending to be pleased about this,” he went on, “I don’t want you wandering around The Shades like that.”

“Why?” she blurted out, her gut filled with a burning anger. She didn’t know quite where it had come from, but she knew that everything was her father’s fault.

Havelock’s eyebrows went up, “It’s dangerous.”

“Just because you’re too scared to go down there,” Autumn countered.

“Am I?”

“YEAH!”

“Good heavens… Have I recently become anything else that I‘m unaware of? You seem to know better than I.”

“Well, you’re old and weak and boring!” she growled, “Very, very boring!”

He looked slightly offended, “Are you sure?”

“VERY sure!”

“Anything else?”

Autumn took in many deep breaths - she felt like exploding, he was just so damn calm!

“Yeah, but I can’t think of them right now…”

He nodded, filing it in the back of his mind, “Very well. Now please Autumn do not go wandering round The Shades again. It’s fortunate Sir Samuel was around to help you. I would not wish him to bring you back in more than one piece.”

“What would you care?”

“Now, Autumn, I care a lot.”

“No you don’t. You just sit in your cave all day and talk to people.”

“It’s part of my job, my flower.”

“It’s boring! You’re boring! Boring, boring, boring!”

Havelock found it rather refreshing to be talked to like this - no one else would dare - but, still, underneath all this childish rage and injustice, he felt somewhat bothered by it all. There was a line he had drawn specifically for Autumn that was much further than anyone else’s - yet she’d still managed to cross it.

“Will you please calm down?”

“No!”

“I asked you nicely, Autumn. Don’t make me ask unkindly.”

“I dare you!”

“Now, Autumn -”

“You’re scared. You’re always scared! Sam’s right - his dad is way cooler! At least he does something! You’re just boring and old and weak and useless and I hate you!”

Havelock was too stunned to follow Autumn as she rushed off, down Pride Rock, and out across the plains.

Drumknott was suddenly at his side; “Did that not go down well, my lord?”

Havelock sighed and chewed his tongue for a moment, “Remind me, Drumknott,” he said at length, “Why I became a father.”

Drumknott squirmed a little, determined to be honest without causing offence, “Wasn’t it a… well, an ‘accident‘, milord?”

Havelock shook his head, smiling vaguely; “Oh, nothing happens by accident, Drumknott.”

--End of Notes